29/11/2009 - 1st. Sunday in Advent
Season - C
Ist Reading Jer 33,14-16 Ps. 24 2nd Reading 1 Tes 3,12-4,2 Gospel Lk 21,25-38.34-36
During the last liturgical year, that has just come to an end, I tried to share
with you something from the prayer that Jesus taught his apostles. When we pray
the Our Father we should take care more to have an attitude from within and
to open ourselves for that conversion that God himself wants to bring in our
lives.
We are in a year that Pope Benedict XVI has dedicated for our reflection on
the ministerial priesthood in the Church encouraging us to pray for the ordained
ministers, the priest. I believe it would be nice, and we ought to enter into
the ecclesial vision: we would do it by trying to understand and pray the words
that Jesus prayed to the Father, according to what John the evangelist has told
us in his gospel. Throughout the centuries, that prayer has always been called
"the priestly prayer of Jesus": in it the Lord offer himself as a
sacrifice to the Father. In it Jesus behaves and manifest himself as Priest,
meaning, he himself is doing that very same act of the priest, that is, offering
to God what pleases to God for the forgiveness of the sins of men. This prayer,
that we read throughout Chapter 17 of the Gospel, is written by the evangelist,
that naturally did not record it as we do today or with the means which we have,
but by the deep and spiritual knowledge he had of his Master, and developed
it under the influence of the Holy Spirit and keeping in mind the teaching of
Jesus. It is our duty to stop and listen to our Lord and Master when he prays
to his Father. This is not only a duty but also nice and gives comfort. To listen
to the prayer which Jesus addressed to the Father at the fulfillment of his
mission, few hours away from his sacrifice, is the most strong and sure way
to know his heart, to enter into the experience through an alive relationship
which is divine love, that goes between and works through the Father and the
Son. Such we can learn the way of relating to God, and which are the contents
of our deep desires to be, that is, those that God himself want to see filling
our hearts. We would see what is to heart to Jesus for us and the world, that
world that God loved so much as to send his Son to live among sinners. I would
not know whether the reading of this prayer turns out to be a teaching or an
introduction to love Jesus with all our heart, with all our being. Whatever,
I pray that it will be a help to grow in faith and to deepen our communion with
all the Church.
On the First Sunday in Advent Season, as we begin a New Liturgical Year, the
Lord speaks to us about the end. He wants to help us live day by day knowing
that time is not a time to enjoy doing what we think we want to do for ourselves,
but it's a time of doing good deeds for which we are to be accountable to him
who gave them to us. All our life is to be a place where the Son of God is to
be at work, a temple where he is adored, a way through which he can go and meet
other men. It's him, Jesus, the fullness of humanity: if he is in us, our life
too is full! If he is put away because we exclude him, or because we want to
do our own mind, then all our events will be like mountains one cannot go over,
and ever thing that seems to be secure will be a trap, deceit, delusion. Hence
Jesus warns us for our good, to vigil on ourselves and not be betrayed by our
own hands.
Today's invitation is a very serious one for our life, so that in it the love
of God is manifested. Even st. Paul reminds us of the same thing: it's his strong
desire and prayer that the Christians live a life that shows their love for
one anther: such can God show his glory here on earth.
We are awaiting the coming of Jesus, who already came in history, who continues
to live and be present amongst us till his coming again in the end. Let us begin
this new cycle in his presence, joyfully because we know we have a mission that
only we can do. Our mission, as Jeremiah proclaims, is the participation in
the realization of the prophecies of God, who wants to give to all peoples "
". When we live according to the Lord, doing his will, we initiate that
reign in which there are no injustices and in which, every judgment is pronounced
with love by the one who wants to save men from the one who accuses them night
and day. This is the one who is to come: the Advent Season is a time of preparation
to welcome him, awaiting time.
Every awaiting is true when it generates love. Let us live this Season in the
love of Jesus: let us desire to meet him, see him, listen to him, seen by him
and touched by his hand. Let us prepare our hearts with expressions of conversion:
a renewed prayer of awaiting love; a new way of speaking, a new way of behaving
empty of every ego and of pleasure's sake; a new way of life with little mortifications
and renunciations. These shall be acts of love that help us to live for Jesus
and with him, witnessing to the world the newness and the truth that it is seeking
but cannot find it because it is usin